Why Most Brisbane Businesses Waste Money on 'Influencers'
If you’re running a cafe in Paddington, a plumbing business in Chermside, or a boutique gym in Newstead, you’ve probably seen people on Instagram with thousands of followers and wondered: "Should I pay them to talk about my business?"
Most business owners I talk to think "influencer marketing" is for fashion brands or protein powder companies. They think it's about paying a 22-year-old to take a selfie with their product.
I’m here to tell you that most of what you’ve heard is rubbish. If you do it the way the "experts" tell you, you will lose money. But if you do it the way I’m about to show you—focusing on local Brisbane people who actually live in your service area—it is the fastest way to get your phone ringing without spending a fortune on Google or Facebook ads.
Here’s the reality: People in Brisbane don’t trust ads like they used to. They trust their neighbours, the local footy coach, and that person on Instagram who always knows the best place to get a coffee in the Valley. When those people recommend your business, it’s not an ad; it’s a referral. And referrals make you money.
The Math That Actually Matters
Before we dive in, let’s look at the numbers. I’ve seen dozens of Brisbane businesses spend $2,000 on a generic ad campaign that gets them a few clicks but no actual jobs.
Compare that to a landscaper we know in the Western Suburbs. He gave a local gardening enthusiast (who had about 3,000 local followers) a free garden makeover worth about $800 in materials and time. That one person posted three videos of the transformation. The result? The landscaper booked $14,000 worth of work in two weeks.
That is a massive return on investment. Why did it work? Because the followers weren't just random people across the world; they were people living in Indooroopilly, Brookfield, and Kenmore who saw a local expert doing great work for someone they trusted.
In this guide, I’m going to show you how to find these people, what to say to them, and how to make sure you aren't just giving away freebies for nothing.
Step 1: Find 'Local Heroes', Not 'Celebrities'
The biggest mistake you can make is looking for someone with 100,000 followers. You don’t want a celebrity. You want a local hero.
If you’re a tradie, you want the person who runs the local "Mums of the Bayside" Facebook group or an Instagrammer who focuses on home renovations in Queensland. These people have "micro-influence." Their audience is small, but they are all located within a 10km radius of your business.
Where to look:
1. Location Tags: Go to Instagram and search for locations like "South Brisbane," "North Lakes," or "Bulimba." See who is posting regularly and getting actual comments (not just likes) from local people. 2. Local Groups: Look at who are the most active and helpful people in your local community Facebook groups. These people are influencers even if they don't call themselves that. 3. Your Own Customer List: This is the best place to start. Look at your past 50 customers. Do any of them have a decent following or a big presence in the local community? It’s much easier to get local customers when the person recommending you has already paid for your service and loved it.Step 2: The 'Will This Make Me Money?' Filter
Don't get distracted by "likes" or "hearts." They don't pay the power bill. Before you reach out to anyone, ask yourself these three questions:
Are their followers in my service area? If they have 50,000 followers but 40,000 are in the US, they are useless to a Brisbane tiler. Does their audience actually care about what I do? A fitness influencer might be great for a health food shop, but they’re probably not the best choice for a diesel mechanic. Do people actually talk to them? Look at the comments. Are people asking questions? If the influencer replies and has conversations, that’s a goldmine. If it’s just bot accounts posting fire emojis, walk away.
I’ve seen businesses fall into the trap of thinking a big following equals big sales. It doesn't. I’d rather you partner with someone who has 500 followers who are all local homeowners than someone with 50,000 followers scattered across the globe. This is a common reason why a national strategy is failing for small businesses—it’s too broad and misses the local connection that actually drives sales.
Step 3: Making the Approach (Without Sounding Like a Salesman)
Most influencers get dozens of messages a day from people wanting free stuff. If you want to stand out, you need to be professional and focus on the value for them and their audience.
Don't send a generic "Hey, want to collab?" message. It’s lazy and it doesn’t work.
Try this instead: "Hi [Name], I’m [Your Name] from [Your Business]. I’ve been following your posts about [Topic] and I love how much you help the [Local Suburb] community. We’re looking to get the word out about our [Service/Product] to more locals, and I thought your audience would really value it. Would you be open to a quick chat about how we could work together? I’d love to offer you [Specific Value] in exchange for sharing your honest experience with us."
Notice I said "honest experience." You aren't buying a fake review. You are paying for them to try your service and tell their followers what they think. If your service is good, the results will follow.
Step 4: What Should You Pay?
This is where most small business owners get nervous. "How much is this going to cost me?"
For most local Brisbane businesses, you shouldn't be paying thousands in cash. In fact, for many micro-influencers, the "payment" is the service itself.
The Tradie Approach: If you're a sparky, offer to install a new ceiling fan or upgrade their smoke alarms for free. The Shop Owner Approach: Give them a $200 voucher to spend in-store. The Professional Service Approach: Offer a free consultation or a basic package of your service.
If they ask for cash, that’s fine, but keep it realistic. For someone with 2,000–5,000 local followers, a couple of hundred dollars per post is standard. If they want $1,000 for one post and they aren't a household name, they are dreaming. Move on to someone else.
Step 5: How to Track if It's Working
You need to know if your money or time is being wasted. Don't just look at your Instagram notifications. Look at your bank account.
1. Use a Promo Code: Give the influencer a specific code (e.g., "SARAH20" for $20 off). This is the easiest way to see exactly how many sales came from them. Just be careful that your promo is killing foot traffic by being too aggressive with discounts. The goal is to get new customers, not just give away your profit. 2. Ask Every Customer: This is old school but it works. "How did you hear about us?" If they say "I saw that video by [Influencer]," mark it down. 3. Track Your Phone Calls: If you see a spike in enquiries the day an influencer posts, it’s a pretty safe bet it’s working.
Real Results: A Brisbane Case Study
We worked with a small boutique gym in Morningside. They were struggling to fill their 6:00 AM classes. Instead of spending more on Facebook ads, they identified three local "active mums" who were already members.
They gave these three women a free 3-month membership in exchange for them posting twice a week about their workouts and tagging the gym. No scripts, no fake acting. Just them showing up and doing the work.
Within 30 days, the gym had 12 new sign-ups directly attributed to those three women. Total cost to the gym? The "cost" of three memberships that weren't being used anyway. Total revenue? Over $1,500 per month in new recurring membership fees.
That’s the power of local partnerships. It’s not about being famous; it’s about being trusted in your own backyard.
What to Avoid (The Money Pit)
I’ve seen plenty of people get this wrong. Here is what I’d tell my mate to avoid at all costs:
Don't work with people who have fake followers. If they have 10,000 followers but only 10 likes on their photos, they bought those followers. They are useless to you. Don't be a control freak. Let the person speak in their own voice. If you give them a script, their followers will smell the BS from a mile away. Don't do one-offs. One post is rarely enough to move the needle. You want a relationship where they mention you over a few months. Repetition is how you get people to remember your name when their pipe bursts or they need a new haircut.
- Don't ignore the "Small" guys. Someone with 800 followers who is the president of the local netball club is worth ten times more than a "model" with 20,000 followers from all over the world.
Quick Wins: What You Can Do This Week
If you want to see results quickly, here is your action plan for the next seven days:
1. Day 1-2: Spend 30 minutes on Instagram and Facebook looking at local tags for your suburb. Find 5 people who seem to have a good local following. 2. Day 3: Check their engagement. Do locals actually comment? If yes, keep them on the list. 3. Day 4: Send a short, friendly message to those 5 people. Offer them something of value to try your business. 4. Day 5-7: Follow up with anyone who hasn't replied. For those who have, set a date for them to come in or for you to visit them.
This isn't rocket science. It’s just digital word-of-mouth. If you’re tired of being invisible on Google Maps or seeing your ad budget disappear with nothing to show for it, this is the most practical way to grow your Brisbane business right now.
The Bottom Line
Local influencer partnerships aren't about vanity; they are about sales. By finding the right local people, offering them real value, and tracking your results, you can build a steady stream of new customers who already trust you before they even pick up the phone.
At Local Marketing Group, we help Brisbane businesses cut through the noise and focus on what actually works. If you’re too busy running your business to chase down influencers and manage these partnerships, we can help.
Stop guessing and start growing. Contact us today to see how we can help you get more customers and more profit without the headache.